LOCAL MUSICIAN: S'PORE CANNOT RISK A FREAK ELECTION RESULT

<Facebook post by Jeremy Monteiro>

I don't think we can gamble with Singapore's future. I think we have to vote with our heads and not with our emotions that are being stirred up by the rabble rousers. Elections are a serious business.

There are many intelligent and able people who stand on the sidelines and talk like opposition politicians. Some of them have good ideas.

But they themselves don't offer themselves for election. Instead they let less able people than themselves stand for election in the opposition (insert the song "Send In The Clowns" here). If these intelligent and strong-willed people themselves stand for election, then maybe we can consider. But their surrogates? No, I'm sorry, I'm not going to consider supporting the surrogates.

Ok, so the so-called proponents of a "first-world Parliament" have been a sounding board for the ruling party at best.

But we don't need sounding boards inside Parliament from people who cannot offer cogent alternatives. We the people can be sounding boards. They are many channels for feedback, discourse and discussion and going forward, the ruling party must enlarge this.

For sure, there are pockets of disconnect between what a rich politician thinks about, which is not congruent with what the people feel. Very very quickly, the ruling party must take a super fast crash course on empathy and listen to the few who are truly connected to the plight of the people who are suffering at the lower, lower middle and sandwich class.

Some improvements have been made but some corrections, like the painful adjustments to the unsecured credit policy has to be mitigated further with more graduated weaning. Because these are people, who if they don't understand tough policies, will take their pain to the polls.

There is no problem with the status quo as far as I'm concerned. I am also fine with a few more opposition seats in Parliament if the opposition took their usual "by-election" strategy.

But since they are contesting every seat, I for one cannot take the risk of a freak result. Every vote will count.

In reading all the anti-government websites, all I see is people complaining about nothing. Not one them are talking about what true alternatives there can be to current policies. It's just masak-masak, tikam-tikam, getai, wayang and pasar malam. In short, pantomime.

Sorry lah, some of the opposition folks are nice people. But we don't just need nice people to run our country.

We need strong, intelligent people who perhaps, (sorry I have to belabour my point) can take more lessons on empathy that translates to polices, who will be able to navigate this crazy place called the World better than any one else I know here in Singapore.

==================

If you want to disagree with me, by all means do so. But if you are very disagreeable in your disagreement and use vitriol and hate speech, I will delete your post. I am not a politician, just a citizen making my feelings known. If you try to flame me, I will just extinguish your flame. Talk properly, agree or disagree. Fine. We are all Singaporeans. We are all entitled to our opinions.